Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Slim-Fast or Just Slim and Fast?

Had it not been for all the interest in the offseason physical development of Adrian Peterson, we wouldn't be posting these reported shots of Oklahoma offensive lineman George Robinson. Frankly, we find these before and after shots of Robinson hard to believe (double-click on the image for a closer inspection). If true, and again, the changes here are so dramatic we remain skeptical, what the hell is going on at Oklahoma? The photo on the left, said to taken a year ago, shows a 6-foot-5, 350 pound Robinson. The photo on the right is said to be of the new Robinson, minus 50 pounds. Now Oklahoma's website currently lists Robinson at 332, so again, proceed with caution. Maybe somebody from the Oklahoma camp can enlighten us as to what is going on in Norman. Then again, maybe they don't want to....

Yes, both pictures are Duke Robinson. OU's athletic trainer is Jerry Schmidt and he is considered the best in the business. Ask any OU fan and they will tell you that the off season workouts under "Schmitty" are legendary. Duke came out of high school around 350 to 370 and he lost 50 lbs. in a year. By the way, if you do the math that's ONLY about 1 lb. per week. It's a great job on his part, but nothing you can't do by watching what you eat and walking every day. On a true athlete's work-out and diet program 3-4 lbs. a week is not unreasonable.

Its well known that the sooner lineman go on a regiment of steroids and heavy workouts. If you stick with it, you can achieve great results, you can also tear biceps and have roid rage....common problems at OU as well.

You are an IDOT... there is nothing funny about this it a kid who put in hard work and ate right exercised and did what it takes to play on of the top football programs in the country. The thought you suggesting something funny is going on OU needs to give you an explanation furthers my point you are an IDIOT! I lost 55 lbs but cutting back from eating and running 2-3 miles a day and exercising. Again.. You’re an IDIOT! Duke has worked hard as a matter of fact if you really want to dig.. go search for DeMarcus Granger he has the same results. So, with that said get your head out of the sand and think right!

I have heard the same thing. The Roark kid that quit and went to Nebraska this spring has been telling everyone that Kevin Wilson pushed the olineman to start stacking steroids. He declined and took alot of abuse for it. Finally up and quit, like so many offensive lineman at OU.

Just to let you all know, the fellow who posted about Chad Roark is a dumb ass Oklahoma State fan who likes to spread bogus rumors to slander OU just like every OSU fan with an inferiority complex. OU coaches do not ask their players to take steroids. It's very possible to lose that much weight in a year and Coach Schmidt is considered one of if not THE best strength and conditioning coaches in the country. NFL players have come to Norman in the offseason to train with him.

Jevon Kearse sure did come back and train with him. Roy Williams does also. Two pretty good players that are in every bit as good of shape as TO and Ray Lewis. So please, for the love of God, stop being such a douche.

You can lie all you like Mr. Anonymous. I've heard the story straight from Chad and it has nothing to do with steroids. No coach is stupid enough to give thier own players steroids. Have fun dwelling at the bottom of the Big 12 again this year poke.

Jerry Schmidt is a very well respected professional who makes boys into men. Most buy into his program of very hard work and an excellent diet. Guys like Duke are the epitome of what hard work and commitment to a diet regimen can do for you. Some like Moe Dampeer and Chad Roark aren't willing to make the effort or don't like his aggressive style and they move on. May they find success wherever. The steroid bit is getting old...this man runs a clean program and he is committed to the health of his young charges. You do them a great dis-service to impugn their integrity and belittle their work efforts.

I think people also need to realize that the weight loss, while impressive, was not as much as these pictures look. He dropped 30-40 pounds from the first picture to the second. His shirt being pulled up in the 1st pic makes his belly look bigger. He's still got some of the belly in the 2nd pic but it's covered up by his shirt (you can still see it if you look closely). He's always been very tall and had a long frame, so he can make 320 pounds look pretty slim.

He's had a great work ethic and will probably be starting on the OL as a true sophomore this year.

And the steroid stuff is just typical bogus crap that OSU fans like to spread about OU. It's an inferiority complex thing that I'm sure most people can relate to in one way or another. :)

Do they not test players for steroids? Of course the coaches are not giving players Steroids! Anyone stating otherwise is truly a complete idiot! I also can't believe all of the comments about this player transforming his body with hardwork and changing his diet! My god people that are NOT college football players with NO trainers do it all of the time! I have a friend that lost 100 pounds in a year eating right and working out 3 times a week! These college players workout all of the time and are pushed by different strength and conditioning coaches to do even more! I think he looks great and good for help for getting in shape & working hard to earn his scholarship!

I can tell you from personal knowledge that the OU staff do NOT condone the use of steroids and is in fact tested for just like the NCAA requires. And any person that has played football at a NCAA 1-A school can tell that you work even harder in the off season. So the fact that he has lost this much weight is because he has made a great effort on his part to be in better shape and because the trainers are riding his ass to keep him from killing over on the field from eating all that damn greasy food he used to eat.

Those who spout-off about Roark and his statements are full of crap. He left because he was an immature baby who has never committed to anything in his life unless he could be "Top Dawg" which he would never be at OU. Not to say he would not be a player but never be what he was in HS. OU, under Stoops, is one of the cleanest programs in the country. Just live with the idea that OU is back! Players like Robinson, work their tails off under Schmidt and are fully committed to be the very best they can be. That is the difference.

Last year I lost 89 lbs (332 down to 243) in 9-months. I simply reduced my calorie intake to around 1800 per day and exercised about five to seven times per week. I alternated days between free weights to running. By the time I dropped below 260 pounds, I was able to run about 20 miles per week (3 @ 3-miles during the week and a longer 10-mile run on the weekend).

Duke's transformation is very possible. I lost more weight in a similar time frame without the added benefit of OU's world class training regiment. Duke already had a lot of muscle. It unfortunately was covered with a large amount of fat when he arrived in Norman. It looks like he burned off about 70 pounds of fat and added back an additional 10 to 20 pounds of muscle. It does not require steroids to do this over a year. Doctors will tell you losing 2 pounds per week is healthy (104 pounds per year). Adding a pound per month of muscle does not require juice. However, it does require working your tail off (literally).

I would believe the steroid argument if this had happened more quickly like over a single summer. We had a very athletic high school wrestling coach who left for the summer weighing about 180 lbs at around 5'11". He returned to school in August tipping the scales at north of 225 lbs with biceps the size of my thighs and his head welded directly to his shoulders. Our coach’s rapid change required more than simple supplements. Duke’s transformation is much more plausible through hard work, given the longer time frame.

Just to clarify, the transformation isn't as huge as it appears. In the first pick he has his jersey pulled up showing skin tight under-armour. The second pick his jersey is not pulled up. It's obvious he lost some weight, but it's not as dramatic as it seems.

I live with Duke and trust me, he's not on steroids. And yea his jersey in the second one is hiding a little bit and makin him look real slim. Now I'm not sayin he's fat or anything, but he's not rockin a six pack underneath there either.

Bigger question is the number of OU football players who've suffered a ruptured bicept, a tell-tale sign of steroid abuse. Also note a recent d-lineman who was about 290 pure muscle at OU and mysteriously lost about 40 pounds before the combine and NFL (a.k.a testing time)

The number of OU players that have suffered ruptured bicepts is two. OU players don't lose weight after they leave. They go on to the NFL and recieve praise from NFL coaches for their work ethic. The entire starting offensive line and most of the back-ups fron the 2004 team are playing in the NFL. Stop making up lies Aggie.